Reed Gallery of the Age of Mammals | Level 2

Amazing specimens from Ontario, such as the giant beaver, stag-moose, and Toronto's namesake, an extinct species of deer named Torontoceros, help us understand the impact of the Ice Age close to home.

Amber, fossilized tree resin, and its natural preservatives reveal important information about insects and other delicate creatures that otherwise might have been lost forever.

Three million years ago, North American animals like the sabre-toothed cat entered South America via a new land connection. Find out what other animals invaded South America at the time, and how they enriched the biodiversity of the continent.

Explore the evolution of animal species and why they exist where they are. The Rhino was once common and diverse in North America, but now extinct here. This Rhino skull is about 5 million years old, and was discovered in Kansas.

Impressive displays of fossilized plants, insects, corals, fish, turtles and smaller mammals show the amazing biodiversity of the time and what it means to us today.

The ROM has the oldest known complete bat skeleton. It was collected from 50-million-year-old sediments from Wyoming.

The rise of mammals following the great extinction of dinosaurs.

After the extinction of the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago, other animals continued to develop and flourish. This was a time when Earth's continents continued to separate into their present-day positions and predecessors of modern mammals emerged on the scene, sharing the Earth with our own ancient ancestors. Our mastodont, sabre-toothed cat and giant ground sloth, to name just a few, welcome you to a gallery that traces the development of mammals and other life from 65 million years ago to the present day.

About the Gallery

What?

More than 400 specimens represent both North and South American life and biodiversity, including 30 fossil skeletons of extinct mammals.

Where?

Specimens from around the world are included, with a significant number representing Canada, and specifically, the Great Lakes region.

When?

From the Cenozoic Era (approx. 65 million years ago) to the present day.